Israel / Occupied
Palestine: Rally in Solidarity with Basel Ghattas

Report by the Internationalist Socialist League (Section of the RCIT in Israel/Occupied
Palestine), 27.12.2016, http://the-isleague.com/

Yesterday, December 26th, 14:30, a rally was organized by Balad inviting people to express their solidarity with MP Basel Ghattas. Basel is being held in a
race-motivated, vindictive unnecessary custody for allegedly providing cell phones and notes to a couple of Palestinian political prisoners, so that they could keep in touch with their families.
A few dozens of people showed up, most of whom were Balad supporters but a also a handful of leaders and supporters of the Islamic movement. This rally was also characterized by the criminal
absence of the head of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh or any Hadash supporters, not to mention the CWI or left Zionists.

A person wearing IDF uniform from Galei Tzahal (IOF's radio station) approached an RCIT supporter for an interview to which he initially refused. However,
when he approached Awad Abd elFattah (Balad's General Secretary) and school teacher Niveen Abu Rahmun (Head of the Central Committee) they asked him to speak instead of them. He agreed and
stated: "Me standing here in support of Basel Ghattas is a reflection of my Jewish heritage. What is being done here is a modern equivalent to the infamous Dreifus Trials. This regime
endourses one illegal political activism while criminalizing the opposite side. We all know the history of how such regimes end up and are remembered after they are removed. I'd rather tell my
grandchildren that I stood on the correct side of history which is - against this Apartheid regime."